


Only a Second

by Pearl_Unplanned



Series: Cap_Ironman Bingo 2016 (1) [1]
Category: Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Avengers #4, Cap_Ironman Bingo, M/M, Stony Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 16:09:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6086179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearl_Unplanned/pseuds/Pearl_Unplanned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Captain America is pulled from the ice, Tony has a vision of his and Steve's future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only a Second

**Author's Note:**

> Cap_Ironman Bingo 2016 prompt: Canon: 616 Gold/Silver/Bronze Age  
> Takes place during Avengers #4, to the best of my knowledge.

 

            It was the bright white star in the middle of the man’s chest that first caught his attention. Tony had grown up with stories of the great war hero all his life, but he never thought that he’d _ever_ get a chance to actually meet the man behind the stars and stripes.

            Captain America, in the flesh. The man who'd been lost during World War II, saving the country. The man whose poster still hung in Tony's room to this very day. He was a legend, a hero, a miracle.

            What was even more miraculous was that Tony's sensors were picking up signs of life. _Life!_ Even after being frozen in ice for years, somehow the super-soldier was still alive. There was still a heartbeat.

            No matter how Tony felt at the moment, though, it all changed. It was there and gone in the blink of an eye, an entire lifetime. He wasn't sure what happened, exactly.

            He saw himself and Steve, friends, happy. He couldn't explain the feeling that he got inside, watching Steve—shouldn't he be calling the man Captain America?—as their friendship grew, as it blossomed. As Iron Man, Steve liked him. They were the best of friends. It was almost as if he was watching everything unfold from a third-person _and_ a first-person viewpoint. He could see everything that was happening as a stranger and still hold the budding emotions close to his heart.

            Steve got along with Iron Man. And Tony Stark? Not so much. Tony didn't know why he acted differently without his mask on, or why he didn't just tell Steve the truth.

            He was in love with the man. There was no other way to say it, really. Love. Had he ever felt this strongly towards someone before? No, he was sure he hadn't. But he couldn't tell anyone. It was his own little secret.

            This couldn't be his imagination. There was no way that he would be able to create this entire _life_ in his mind. It was too perfect. His team, they were amazing. And Steve. He didn't deserve Steve. He knew that, but he still clung to their friendship.

            And then Steve knew the truth. The whole team did. They knew who Tony Stark was, who Iron Man was. And they didn't hate him. Tony wanted to cry as he watched Steve hug him from an on-looking view. Thank God.

            From that moment on, their friendship flourished. So did his feelings. Tony watched teammates come and go, but Steve always stuck by his side.

            Steve...

            "Tony?"

            Tony's eyes flashed open. No one knew his secret identity, not yet. His mind couldn't process this.

            Steve, alive and well and _not_ frozen, stood in front of him, in all his glory. Ton's heart ached for this moment. He had to be dreaming. That was the only logical explanation, right?

            "Tony, you look terrible. How long have you been in the lab? You know that it's not healthy to spend too much time holed up in the lab." Steve's touch was gentle as his hand took Tony's.

            "Just tired," Tony assured him, though he didn't know where the words came from.

            A smile crossed Steve's face. He could say with absolute certainty that it was the most beautiful thing that he'd ever seen. If this was a dream, he didn't want to wake up anytime soon.

            "Well sleepyhead," Steve said, and Tony froze when Steve's hand found its way to his hip, "let's head off to bed, then, shall we?"

            Tony let Steve lead him off to a bedroom, confused by happy. Was Steve just a mother hen that he had to see Tony to bed? Either way, Tony was happy. It wasn't until he flopped down on the bed when Tony realized exactly what was going on. Steve crawled onto the bed beside him, wrapping an arm around Tony's waist. The super-soldier pulled him close, with Tony's back pressed against Steve's chest.

            "Good night, Tony," Steve murmured, leaning over to give Tony a quick kiss. Tony's heart almost stopped. "I love you, Shellhead."

            "I love you too," Tony whispered, eyes fluttering closed, "Winghead..."

            Tony opened his eyes again.

            Why had his eyes been closed in the first place?

            The man in front of him, in the thawing ice, had a white star on his chest. Captain America. Looking down at the still-living miracle of a man, there was a longing feeling inside that Tony didn't understand, couldn't explain. He felt like he knew the man, but he wasn't sure why. It had all been there, for only a second, but now Tony was only left with a saddened feeling, like he'd known the man, daresay _loved_ him even.

            Captain America's eyes opened, clear and blue and so full of hope. Beneath his mask, Tony smiled.


End file.
